Friday, March 18, 2011

Playgrounds & Lollipops - Dressing For You

{Sequin Top from Nordstrom Brass Plum Department; Silk Shirt from James Perse, Jeans from Gap, Oxfords from Anthropologie, Ring from old job, necklace handmade from a girl at work}

I have a dear friend that could be described as many things in terms of fashion, including, fun, cute, trendy and hip. I think of her though as sexy, and not in a creepy girl-on-girl type of way, but more of a "Dang, she can pull off sexy better than anyone I know" type of way. You know, sexy fashion, as in tight tops, high, high heels and low cut blouses. She's got a great figure and a spicy, sassy attitude to go along with it. What does this have to do with my outfit?

Well I went shopping with her last year and I had a brief moment where I thought, "Hey, I too can pull off sexy." I bought a few tight, low cut tops, as well as the flashy sequin one I'm wearing. I envisioned myself wearing some white short-shorts and a pair of wedges for a summer night on the town. Never mind I don't really ever go "out on the town." When it came down to it, I just didn't feel comfortable being so "flashy" and out there with myself. Plus I didn't have the "bust" to support it, being about 2 cup sizes smaller than my friend.

I don't think I could effortlessly describe my fashion sensibility in a neat little capsule; it's part feminine, and part masculine. I love funky but not obnoxious, attention-getting funky. I sort of love a little bit of nerdy school girl prep, but can also rock a short dress if I want to. I love a simple basic look, but only when done in a sophisticated way with a twist. My fashion style is a hodge-podge of many things and is ever-evolving, but I know what I like and I know what I feel comfortable in. This shirt I just never felt comfortable in.

But it's a good shirt, well made from nice material, and since sequins are still very much "on-trend", I didn't toss it with the cleaning purge of 2010 but held onto it, vowing to make it work into my wardrobe somehow.

I finally figured it out the other day. By layering it over a nice silk crepe shirt, giving my jeans a little sloppy roll, and wearing my Man-Repeller oxfords, I feel like me, with a little sass that I love so much in my dear friend. I said to someone at work, "this is my faux J.Crew look." I like it, and at the end of the day, that is all that matters with any outfit you put on yourself.

So what have we learned from this outfit post?

Dress for your own sense of style, and not to try and pull off a trend or a style that a friend can pull off.

Be true to yourself and your own sense of style and comfortability

Don't always feel like you have to abide by the age-old rule of "if you haven't worn it in a year, toss it out."

If you are holding onto a piece of clothing for some reason, figure out how to wear it so you get some use out of it and it doesn't just take up space in your closet.

I really had to flex my styling muscles to figure out a way to incorporate this top into an outfit that I would love and feel comfortable in, but after I figured it out, it was like "Duh, why hadn't I thought of this before?" This just may become one of my new fun go-to outfits that I rotate on a regular basis.

Thanks for reading along, and thanks to all those that left a comment on this post to raise money for Japan. I will be donating $285 to the Red Cross to aid in the relief efforts in Japan. Have a great weekend!

19 comments:

Are you my twin?! not identical but i think you're my style twin ;) I'm just like you... a hodge-podge of this and that with a very small hint of sexy thrown in there somewhere... even if on some days it's just my undies ;) thanks for this post... i actually really needed it! (especially numero 1... oh and 2, oh wait... and 4!)

When I think about pulling off sexy I nearly pee my pants laughing. Me and Sexy have never known one another. And I mean NEVER.

Lately I've been trying to find a "style" that I fit so that I can narrow down things to buy. But I just can't narrow down one style. I like so many different looks and I think that's why I stick to very boring basics. I have yet to figure out how to mix them.

Thanks everyone! Laura, the pole standing thing made me nervous too, but I made sure to get my balance real steady before Art let go of my hand to take my picture :) And when I typed out pole standing, I thought of pole dancing, which means I am thinking of sexy too much ;)

Oh, this is one of my favorite outfits ever! I love how you sort of toned down the sequins while keeping the look really fun and fresh. (And I'm a big fan of your new lessons learned at the end of these style posts... so helpful!)

This is great advice. I always think: she looks so cute, I could wear that. And then I can't. I'm working on it, though.Here's a fashion question for you: How do you treat abnormally large shoulders in a woman? I can't wear much detail on top (careful with scarves and excessive ruffles) because I look even more like a football player. Advice, oh knowing Jedi Master?